Elon Musk shares footage of mini-submarine built to help boys trapped in Thai cave

While it has been confirmed that four of boys trapped in the Thai cave network have now been saved, Elon Musk is continuing to offer ideas and assistance to the rescue operation.

Last week, after someone appealed to the tech billionaire on Twitter to help get the 12 boys and their soccer coach out of the cave network they had been trapped in for two weeks, Musk replied to say he was “happy to help”.

He went on to say that tech being developed at Boring Company could help dig holes and pump water out of the cave network.

In the intervening days, however, he has become far more involved, tossing out ideas such as creating an inflatable tunnel that would allow the boys to simply walk out of the caves without the need for scuba gear.

Some good feedback from cave experts in Thailand. Iterating with them on an escape pod design that might be safe enough to try. Also building an inflatable tube with airlocks. Less likely to work, given tricky contours, but great if it does.

But his latest offer is a doozy – he wants to send in “a tiny, kid-size submarine”. And, far from simply being an idea that would totally help but probably take years to develop, Musk followed that up with video footage of a prototype of the device being used in a pool in LA.

Got more great feedback from Thailand. Primary path is basically a tiny, kid-size submarine using the liquid oxygen transfer tube of Falcon rocket as hull. Light enough to be carried by 2 divers, small enough to get through narrow gaps. Extremely robust.